| title | layout | published |
|---|---|---|
Health |
policy |
true |
- table of contents {:toc}
How do we ensure a healthy population?
In order to support every citizen's basic right to medical care and health services, we will maintain and enhance the NHS, keeping it as a free service available to anyone in the UK.
In order to deliver a high quality of care in the NHS, the government must provide sufficient funding and investment in the system.
The NHS will not deny care to anyone for any reason, regardless of legal status, economic status, or nationality (for further details, see doitreatthisimmigrant.com).
Ban parking charges in car parks serving NHS facilities. Only in cases where there is a serious, demonstrable abuse of parking by motorists not using the facilities will any regimes be permitted to curb such abuse, but these must never include a parking charge.
A "maternity package" of useful items for newborn babies (similar to the one offered in Finland) will be provided free to charge to mothers who register for NHS antenatal care before the end of the fourth month of pregnancy.
We have a "free at the point of delivery" National Health Service and for good reason - a healthy population is a productive population, and that reaps benefits for all. That does not however extend to an area of our health that influences our ability to eat and drink and that when not maintained adequately can lead to cancer. Care of the mouth and teeth should be brought fully under the National Health Service and free at the point of delivery, sweeping away the often prohibitive costs for the poorest in society and ensuring that our world class health care system continues to beat it's international counterparts in keeping the nation in good health.
An opt-out system will be adopted for organ donation upon death, ensuring that more organs are available for clinical and research purposes.
The organ donation wishes of the deceased will not be permitted to be overridden by family members.
Alcohol misuse is a serious health issue costing around £21bn per year1, including related crime. Much of this is down to the sale of cheap alcohol products that allow for over-consumption. A Minimum Unit Price (MUP) of 45p will curb dangerous consumption habits whilst having a negligible, if any, impact on responsible drinkers. An estimated economic net benefit in excess of £300m is achievable.
Resulting price increases would largely be restricted to off-trade retailers such as supermarkets and off-licenses and so would not have a large negative impact on the licensed pub trade.
Examples;
- A 3 litre bottle of 4.7% ABV cider can be purchased for as little as £3.992 and contains 14.1 units of alcohol. An MUP of 45p would force this up to at least £8.81 (£6.35 MUP + £1.27 VAT + £1.19 duty).
- A pint of 4% draught beer can be purchased for around £3.213 and contains 2.3 units of alcohol. An MUP of 45p would make the minimum legal price £1.65 (£1.35 MUP + £0.21 VAT + £0.09 duty), well below the current price.